Southwest Launches Hawaii Flights for $49

We knew Southwest Airlines launching new flights to Hawaii would mean low prices, but we didn't realize how low they would be. Now that Southwest has FAA approval to start flying across the Pacific, the airline is offering $49 one-way tickets from Oakland and San Jose to Honolulu and Maui to celebrate. Those prices exist each way, so you could take a round-trip flight to Hawaii for less than $100. Southwest's ultra-low fare is, of course, introductory, and will last only until the sell out. But, with flights between Oakland and Honolulu launching March 17, a last-minute spring break getaway to Hawaii seems to be in order.

Just because the flights are only non-stop from California doesn't mean other cities across the U.S. can't get in on this new route deal. Flights to Honolulu from Seattle start at $174 round-trip, with a stop each way in Oakland. The same layover applies to Dallas to Maui flights, which will cost you just $264 round-trip, and Phoenix to Honolulu flights, which costs as low as $263 round-trip. And these flights are well below the usual going price: The next-cheapest ticket on Google Flights from Oakland to Honolulu is more than $500 on Hawaiian, and includes no checked bags, compared to Southwest's two free checked bags.

But what will flight prices look like after Southwest's sale fares get snatched up? Matthew Ma, co-founder of the popular airfare sale website The Flight Deal, told Traveler contributor Cynthia Drescher last week that the cost of operating to Hawaii is slightly higher than operating within the continental U.S. "We are excited that fares around $300 will be more frequent, but we don't think the floor is much lower than that," he said.

How to book: Because Southwest's fares aren't on Google Flights, you'll need to go directly to their site to book your ticket. Use the low fare calendar to find and compare the cheapest prices. Note: not all flights launch March 17—that's just Oakland to Honolulu. Oakland to Maui flights launch on April 7, San Jose to Honolulu on May 5, and San Jose to Maui also on May 5. So play with the calendar, destinations, and departures to see what's available when you want to travel.